Hot mill catcher



March 1932- D BUCCICONE HOT MILL CATCHER Filed Oct. 23, 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 1.

17111991107": @4570 BUCC/CO/VE,

March 1, 1932.

D. BUVCCICONE HOT. MILL ATCHER 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 25. 1930 jnveodor 548/0 EUCC/CO/VE,

March 1, 1932.

D. BUCCICONE HOT MILL CATCHER Filed 001:. 23, 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 1720671107": 045/0 EUCUCO/VE,

I as fi/farnqys.

March 1, 1932. o 1,847,811

HOT MILL CATCHER Filed Oct. 23, 1930 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 1720622502": Da e/0 5066/ CONE,

by WF March 1, 1932. BUCCICQNE 1,847,811

HOT MILL CATCHER Filed Oct. 23. 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 046/0 BUCC/CO/VE,

March 1, 1932.

D. BUCCICONE HOT MILL CATCHER Filed Oct. 23. 1930 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 AAA 045/0 BUCC/COA/E,

Patented Mar. 1, 1932 STATES PATENT OFFICE DARIO BUCCICONE, F GARY, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN SHEET AND TIN PLATE COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY HOT MILL GATCHER Application filed October 23, 1930. Serial No. 490,797.

This invention relates to hotmill catchers and more particularly to hot mill catchers for tin mills and the like, and has for one of its objects the provision of a novel form of automatic gage and control mechanism for said catchers.

Another object is to provide a generally improved apparatus of this type which will eliminate the necessity for hand gaging of the material being rolled and therefore will speed up the operation of the mill with which it is operated.

A further object is to provide a catcher having the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan ofa hot mill catcher constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional side elevation. taken on the line III-III of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a rear end elevation.

Figure 5 is a side elevation showingthe sheet piling device.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional detail elevation, takenon the line VIVI of Figure 1.

Fi ure 7 is a transverse sectional elevation showing the details of the sheet gaging mechanism.

Figure 8 is a sectional detail through the drive and braking mechanism of the sheet gaging device.

Figure 9 is a sectional detail illustrating the brake drum mounting.

Figure 10 is a sectional detail elevation taken through the gage and scale mechanism.

Figure 11 is a detail front elevation thereof.

Figure 12 is a wiring diagram for the apparatus. 1

Referring more particularly to'the drawings, the letters Aand B design ate the upper and lower rolls of a hot mill.

The catcher of this invention comprises a wheeled frame C, having upper side members 5i and extension side-plates 3 and 3* at its for- .or plates, and thereby permit the catcher to handle maximum widthplates from the mill.

A pair of pinch-rollers 4 and 5 are journaled in suitable bearings 6 and 7, in the side-plates 3 and 3, respectively, and are adapted to receive the plates as they pass from between the mill rolls A and B A second set of pinch-rollers 8 and 9 are journaled in bearings 10 and 12, respectively, in sideplates 3", which connect the side-plates 3 and 3 The upper bearings 6 and 10 for the upper rollers of said pairs of pinch-rollers are spring pressed so as to permit the plates to pass therebetween. The upper roller 8 of said second pair of pinch-rollers is limited in its movement toward the lower roller 9 by a block 8*, so as to maintain said rollers in spaced relation.

A compound motor 14 is mounted on the frame C and is provided with a pinion 15 which meshes with a gear 16 on a drive-shaft 17. A sprocket 18 is mounted on the shaft 17, and is connected with a sprocket 19 on the lower pinch-roller 5 by a chain 20 so as to normally drive the roller 5 in a clockwise direction. The upper pinch-roller 4 is in frictional engagement with the roller 5 so that the roller 4 will be driven in a counterclockwise direction. vided with a drive Sprocket 21 which is connected to a sprocket 22 on a plate return roller. 23 by a chain 24. The roller 23 is journaled in fixed hearings in the side-plates 3 and is adapted to aid in conveying the The roller 4 is prothe hot plate as it passes from one pair of jqurnaled in bearings 33 adjacent the forward ends of the side members'2 of the frame C. A jack-shaft 34 is journaled on the frame C below the single conveying roller and has a sprocket 35 and gear 36 secured thereon. The sprocket 35 is connected by a drivechain 37 to a sprocket 38 on the drive-shaft 17, and the gear 36 is meshed with a gear 39 on the shaft 31 of the conveying roller, whereby said roller is operated by the motor 14 which drives the pinch-rollers 4 and 5 and 8 and 9. v

A conveying table E, composed of side members 40 and transverse members 41, is

provided with a trunnion-shaft 42 intermediate its ends which is journaled in bearings 43 secured to the frame side members 2.

A plurality of conveyor rollers Y are arranged in spaced relation along the side members of the table E and are composed of shafts 44 journaled in bearings 45 on the table side members 40 and have disks .46 secured thereon.

A reversing motor 47 is mounted on theframe C, and has its armature shaft provided with a pinion 48 which is meshed with a gear 49 on a jack-shaft 50 journaled on the frame C. The shaft 50 is in vertical alinement with the trunnion-shaft 42 of the table E. c

A pair of jack-shafts 51 and 52 extend transversely of and are journaled inthe side members 40 of the table E. The shafts 5i and 52 are respectively spaced an equal distance'froln the opposite sides of the trunnionshaft 42.

The shafts 50, 51 and 52 are provided with sprockets 53, 54 and 55, respectively, which are connected by adrive-chain 56.

The shafts 51 and 52 are provided with other sprockets 57 and 58, respectively, which are connected with sprockets 59 and 60 secured to the roller-shaft 44 adjacent the shafts 51 and 52 by chains 61 and 62.

All of the conveyer roller-shafts are pro: vided with sprockets 63 which are connected by chains 64- so that all of the rollers Y will rotate in unison and in the same direction.

The motor 47 is adapted to normally rotate in a direction to rotate the shafts 50, 51 and 52, and the rollers Y in a counter-clockwise direction or toward the mill. Therefore the chain 56 will be tensioned between the sprockets 53 and 54 and will pull down the forward end of the table E. When a sheet or plate has reached its full length, it willcause the motor 47 to be reversed, by mechanism to be thus facilitating the discharge of the full.

length sheets from the table.

In order to automatically indicate the exact length the material must be elongated and to automatically reverse the catcher when the material reaches or exceeds this length the following mechanism is provided.

A vertically disposed guide support 68 is fixedly secured to one side of the frame C of the catcher adjacent its forward end. The support 68 is substantially channel-shaped so as' to provide a vertically disposed guidewa in which a rack bar 67 is slidably mounte The lower or idler pinch-roller 9 is provided with a shaft extension 65 on which is mounted a pinion 66 which is in mesh with the rack bar 67. A limit switch 69 is slidably mounted on the support 68 and is adapted to be adjusted vertically on the support by a menually operated worm and worm-wheel operated pinion 205 which is in mesh with a rack 206 formed on the support 68.

The housing of the switch 69 is provided with an outwardly extending arm 20? having an integral upwardly extending gage or scale plate 208. The scale plate 208 has its inner edge curved and serrated and has its face provided with indicia forming an accurate scale which in practice indicates the exact number of inches the sheet material being worked is to be elongated or is overelongated. The outer edge of the scale plate is formed straight for a portion of its length and is provided with markings and indicia forming a scale which is laid out to one-fifthof the actual length of elongation and therefore covers a materially greater elongation than the scale on the inner edge of the plate. The scale on the inner edge of the plate covers tlie'last nine inches of elongation only while the scale on the outer edge covers thirty-five inches of elongation.

An indicator operating bar 209 is slidably mounted in the support 68 above the rack bar 67 and is movable vertically by the rack bar 67 engaging the lower end thereof. The indicator operatingibar 209 has an indicator hand 210 fixedly secured to its upper end and extending at right angles therefrom so as to cooperate with the scale formed along the outer edge of the scale plate 208. An indicator hand supporting arm 212 extends upwardly from the housing of the switch 69 and has an indicator hand 213 pivotally secured to its upper end. The indicator hand 213 overlies the path of travel of the upper end of the indicator operating bar 209 and is adapted tobe engaged by said bar and swung through an arcuate path around the scale on the inner edge ofthe scale plate 208. In order to maintain the indicating hands in their indicating or advanced positions, that is, in order to maintain said hands stationary relative to the scale plate when therack bar 67 returns to its lower or starting position, a friction holding cushion or block 215 is mounted in an aperture in the wall of the support 68 and is adapted to be forced into frictional contact with the indicator operating bar 209. A housing member 216 is secured on the support 68 and encloses the block 215. A spring pressed plunger 217 extends through the housing 216 and has its inner end in engagement with the block 215 while its outer end is bifurcated to receive one end of a rocking lever 218 which is pivotally connected thereto and is also fulcrumed intermediate its ends on a pin 219 mounted in a support 220 projecting outwardly from the housing 216. The lower end of the lever 218 is pivotally connected to a link 221 which has its other end provided with an elongated eye 222 which has a sliding or loose pivotal connection with a pin 223 on one end. of a lever 224 which is keyed to the trunnion shaft 42 of the table.

The plunger 217 has a spring retaining disk 225 secured thereon and a coil spring 226 is mounted between the disk 225 and the end of the housing so as to normally force the plunger 217 against the block 215 and thereby hold the plunger in frictional engagement with the indicator operating bar 209.

When the table is inclined toward the mill the lever 224 will be inclined forwardly and the spring 226 will be free to force the block 215 against the bar 209. However, when the sheet material has been rolled to the proper gage and the table is reversed or tilted rearwardly the lever 224 will be moved rearwardly so as to compress the spring 226 and release the pressure on the block 215, thereby releasing the bar 209 and permitting said bar and indicator hands to return to starting position.

lhe bar 269 is provided with a trip lug 209 at its lower end adapted to engage the operating arm 69 of the switch 69. The tripping of the switch 69 is adapted to energize an electric reversing control mechanism shown in the wiring diagram. This control mechanism is of standard design and forms no part of this invention.

li'hen the switch 69 is tripped, it will energize the solenoid 71 which will operate the switch 7 2 and complete a circuit through the coils 78 of a magnetically operated switch 7 4 which will operate to reverse the armature circuit of the motor 47.

The normal or forward circuit to the armature of motor 47 is from the supply line through line 76, through one of the switches 74, line 76, then through the armature of the motor 47, through the line 7 7 and the other switch 74 to line 78, and back to the other supply line 79.

When the solenoid 71 has been energized by the tripping of the switch 69 and the switches 74 have been moved into reverse position, a circuit will be completed from supply line 75, through the line 76, switch 74, line 80 and resistance, 81, to line 77, then through the armature to line 76 and line 82 and resistance 83, to the second switch 74 and back through line 78 to the other supply line 7 9. A standard manually operated switch 85 is provided for completin the circuit from the supply lines 75 and 9.

The solenoid 71 is provided with a dashpot 71 which serves to time the operationiof the switch 72 so said switch will remain closed until the plates have been conveyed off of the catcher.

In order to prevent the lower or idler pinch-roller 9 from overrunning after the plate has passed from between the pinchrollers 8 and 9 and thereby causing the switch 69 to be actuated to reverse the motor 47 before the plate is rolled to gage or length, I have provided a brake on the roller-shaft.

The brake on the shaft of roller 9 comprises a ratchet-wheel 86 which is keyed on the shaft of the roller 9 and is adapted to run in a brake-drum 87 which is supported on a sleeve 88 projecting from the bearing 12 of the lower roller. A roller bearing 89 is mountedbetween the brake-drum 87 and the-sleeve 88. A dog 90 is mounted on a pin 91 in the brake-drum and is adaptedto engage the teeth 91 of the ratchet-wheel 86. A spring 92 is provided to force the dog into engagement with the ratchet teeth 91*. A brake-shoe 93 is pivotally connected to one end of a crank-lever 94 and is adapted to be forced against the brake-drum 87 when the plates pass from between the rollers 8 and 9 to stop the rotation of the roller 9 The le- 7 ver 94 is keyed to a shaft 95 which is journaled in the side-plates 3 and 3, and a pair of fingers 96 are also keyed to the shaft and positioned. so as to normally extend into the path of the plates'or sheets as they pass into the bite of the rollers 8 and 9,

As the plates or sheets pass into the bite of the rollers 8 and 9 they will engage and depress the fingers 96 so as to rock the shaft 95, and thereby rock the brake-shoe 93 rearwardly out of engagement with the drum 87'. A tension spring 98 is provided for normally forcing the shoe into engagement with the brake-drum.

As soon as the plate passes through the pinch-rollers 8 and 9 the fingers 96 will he released and the spring 98 will snap the brake-shoe 93 against the drum 87 thereby stopping the rotation of the roller 9 in the forward or clockwise direction.

The roller 9 will be free, however, to move in the reverse or counter-clockwise direction after'the brake-shoe 93 is applied, since the dog 90 can ride back over the teeth 91 of the ratchet 86. This free reverse movement will permit the rack 67 to fall to its lower or normal position by gravityin readiness to gage the same plate or the next plate.

- the conveyer rollers Y of the rocking table E which are, if the plates are not rolled to finished length lbeing rotated in a counterclockwise direction, or toward the mill, and will consequently reverse the direction of movement of the platesand move them toward the mill so as to cause said plates to return over the mill for re-rolling.

Prior to the rolling of the plates, the

switch 69 'will be adjusted vertically to the proper position for the length of the material to be rolled. The scale plate andindicator hand 213, which are mounted on the switch housing, will also be moved vertically with the switch. With the switch 69 adjusted the switch will not be tripped unless the material being rolled is of sufficient length to rotate the idler pinch-roller 9 a sufficient number of revolutions to cause the pinion 66 to elevate the rack bar 67 and bar 209 a sufiicient amount to cause the lug 209 to trip the switch arm 69.

When the plates or other material are rolled out to finished length, the friction of the plate passing between the pinch-rollers 8 and 9 will rotate the idler roller 9 a sufiicient number of revolutions to cause the rack 67 to move the bar 209 upwardly until the lug 209 .trips the arm 69" of the switch 69, thus energizing the automatic reversing mechanism and reversing the motor 47 so asv to reverse the direction of rotation of the rollers Y and also rock the table E rearwardly, thereby discharging the finished material rearwardly 03 of the table.

At each successive pass of the sheets, plates or other material through the pinch-rollers 8 and 9 the bar 209 will be advanced and will be retained in its advanced position so as to hold the indicator hands in position relative to the scale plate 208 by means'of the friction block 215. The block 215 will continue to hold the bar'209 in its advanced position until the table is reversed to discharge a finished plate.

When the plate or other material has been rolled to finished length and the switch 69 has been tripped and the table reversed, the

. pile and, therefore, a pile forming mechanism composed of side guide-plates 100 and an end bumper-plate 102 are provided. The bumper-plate 102 is provided with a base portion 103 which is pivotally secured to a pin 104 so as to permit the plate to rock when a plate or sheet strikes it. This rocking of the bumper-plate 102 serves to cushion the blow of the sheet or plate being piled and also serves to shift the piled sheets or plates into alinement.

In order to facilitate the delivery of the sheets or plates onto the pile, a pair of supporting rollers 105 are secured on a shaft 106 journaled in a bearing 107 on the upper end of a. lever-arm 108. The lower end of the lever-arm 108 is pivotally supported on the lower portion of the rear end of the frame C and is adapted to be automatically swung outwardly toward the bumper-plate 102 when the table E is delivering a plate to the pile, and to be retracted when the table is inclined toward the mill.

To provide for the automatic operation of the lever-arm 108, a pair of toggle-levers 109 and 110 are provided and are connected to 1 the rear end of the table E by a link 112, one

of which is connected to the frame C at 113, the other being connected to the lever 108 at 114:.

When the table E is rocked into the horizontal plane to discharge a plate or sheet, the toggle-levers 109 and 110 willbe extended to move the lever-arm 108 and rollers 105 rearwardly so as to support the plate as it is moved rearwardly against the bumper-plate 102. Then as the table E is again tilted forwardly toward the mill by the reversing of the motor 47, the toggle-levers 109,. and 110 will be retracted and will pull the lever-arm 108 and rollers 105 toward the table so as to let the rear end of the plate fall onto the ile.

While I have shown and described my improved control and gaging mechanism as ap-.

. plied to one specific form of hot mill catcher,

it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to this specific combination since the invention is susceptible of being applied to various forms of catchers and modifications may be made in the design and construction of the novel mechanism of my invention without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

horizontal axis, a pair of pinch-rollers through which the sheet material passes onto said table, a gaging and indicating. mechanism on said table andoperable by said pinchrollers, said mechanism compnsing a verti- I cal rigid support, a rack member slidably mounted in and movable vertically relative to said support, a Ipinion in mesh with said rack and operable y one of said pinch-rollers, a scale plate slidably mounted for verti-- cal adjustment relative to said support, at least one indicator mounted for movement over said scale plate, and means operable by said rack for operating said indicator.

2. In a hot mill catcher comprising a rigid frame and having a table mounted on said frame for rocking movement about a horizontal axis, a pair of pinch-rollers through which the sheet material passes onto said table, a gaging and indicating mechanism on said table and operable by said pinch-rollers, said mechanism comprising a vertical rigid support, a rack member slid'ablv mounted in and movable vertically relative to said sup port, a pinion in mesh with said rack and operable by one of said pinch-rollers, a scale plate slidably mounted for vertical adjustment relative to said support, at least one indicator hand mounted for movement over said scale plate, an indicator hand operating bar slidably mounted in said vertical support above said rack, said bar being adapted to be moved upwardly by said rack, releasable means adapt'edj-to trictionally engage and hold said bar in'its advanced positions until said bar. and said indicator hand reach a predetermined position, and means for automatically releasing said releasable means.

3. In a hot mill catcher comprising a rigid frame and having a table mounted on said frame for rocking movement about a horizontal axis, a pair of pinch-rollers through which the sheet material passes onto said table, a gaging and indicating mechanism on said table and operable by said pinch-rollers, said mechanism comprising a vertical rigid support, a rack member slidably mounted in and movable vertically relative to said support, a pinion in mesh with said rack and operable by .one of said pinch-rollers, said pinchroller being adapted to rotate said pinion to move said rack upwardly when the sheet material is being passed between the pinch-roll ers and to permit free reverse movement of said pinion and return of said rack by grav ity when the material clears said rollers, a scale plate mounted on said vertical support, at least one indicator hand mounted for movement over said scale plate, an indicator hand operating bar slidably mounted in said vertical support above said rack said bar being adapted to be moved upwardl by said rack, releasable means adapted to rictionally engage and hold said bar in its advancedpositions until-said bar and said indicator hand reach a predetermined position, and means for automatically releasing said releasable 4. In a hot mill catcher comprising a rigid frame and having a table mounted on said frame for rocking movement about a horizontal axis, a pair of pinch-rollers through which the sheet material passes onto said table, means for automatically rocking said table rearwardly when the sheet material has reached a predetermined length, a gaging and indicating mechanism on said table and operable by said pinch-rollers, said mechanism comprising a vertical rigid support, a

rack member slidably mounted in and movable vertically relative to said support, a inion in mesh with said rack and operable y one of said pinch-rollers, a scale plate slidably mounted for vertical adjustment rel- 'ative to said support, at least one indicator hand mounted for movement over said scale plate, an indicator hand operating bar slidably mounted in said vertical support above said rack, said bar being adapted to be moved upwardly by said rack, releasable means adapted to irictionally engage and hold said bar in its advanced positions, means for moving said releasable means-into and out of operative engagement with said bar, said means being automatically operable by said table and being adapted to move said releasable means into operative engagement with said bar when said table is inclined toward the mill and to move said means out of operative engagement with said bar when said table is inclined away from the mill.

. v 5. In a hot mill catcher comprising a rigid frame and having a conveyer table mounted on said frame for rocking movement about a horizontal axis, a reversible motor for driving said conveyer table and rocking it about said horizontal axis so as to tilt it in the direction in which the table is operating, a pair of pinch-rollers through which the sheet material passes onto said table, a gaging and indicating mechanism on said table and operable by said pinch-rollers, said mechanism comprising a vertical rigid support, a rack member slidably mounted in and movable vertically relative to said support, a pinion ,in mesh with said rack and operable by one of said pinch-rollers, a scale plateand a re? versing limitiswitch slidably mounted for vertical adjustment relative to said support, at least one indicator hand mounted for movement over said scale plate, an indicator hand operating bar slidably mounted in said vertical support above said rack and adapted to be moved vertically by said rack to move said indicator hand over said scale, and means on said bar to operate said switch v in mesh with said rack and operable by one when said bar is moved into a predetermined vertical position tocause a reversal of said motor and thereby reversely tilt said table. 6. In a hot mill catcher comprising a rigid frame and having a conveyer table mounted on said frame for rocking movement about a horizontal axis, a reversible motor for driv-v ing said conveyer table and rocking it about said horizontal axis so as to tilt it in the direction in which the table is operating, a pair of pinch-rollers through which the sheet material passes onto said table, a gaging and indicating mechanism on said table and operable by'said pinch-rollers, said mechanism comprising a vertical rigid support, a rack member slidablymounted in and movable vertically relative to said support, a pinion of said pinch-rollers, a scale plate and a reversing limit switch slidably mounted for vertical adjustment relative to said support,

at least one indicator hand mounted for movement over said scale plate, an indicator hand operating bar slidably mounted in said vertical support above said rack and adapted to be moved vertically by saidrack to move said indicator hand over said scale, releasable means adapted to'frictionally engage and hold said'bar in its advanced positions, means for moving said releasable means into and out of operative engagement with said bar, said means being automatically operable by said table and being adapted to move said releasablemeans into operative engagement with said bar when said table is inclined toward the mill and to move said means out of operative engagement with said bar when said table is inclined away from'the mill,

rigid frame and having a table mounted on said frame *for rockingmovement about a horizontal axis, a pair of pinch-rollers through which the sheet material passes. onto saidtable, a gaging and indicating mechanism on said table and operable by sald pinchrollers, said mechanism comprisin a vertical rigid support, a member mova 1e vertically relative to said support and operable by one of said'pinch-rollers, a scale plate mounted for vertical adjustment relative to said support, at least one indicator mounted for movement over said scale plate, and means operable by said vertically movable member for operating said indicator.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

DARIO uoorcomz.

and means on said bar to operate said switch when saidbar is moved into a predetermined vertical position to cause a reversal of-said mgtorAand thereby reversely tilt said table.

disposed'support, a rack slidably mounted in said support, a pinion in mesh with said rack, means for rotating said pinion to move said rack upwardly, said means permitting free reverse movement of said pinion and return of said rack by gravity, a scale plate mounted on said support and adjustable vertically relative-thereto, said plate having a plurality of scales thereon, an indicator hand having its one end pivoted to a support fixed relative to and movable with said scale plate, an indicator hand operating bar adapted to be moved vertically by said rack, a second indi catorhand fixedly mounted on and movable with said bar, said first named indicator hand overlying and being also operable by said bar through an arcuate path, and releasable friction means for normally retaining said indicator hand operating bar in its advanced gaging mechanism for hot mill catchers and the like, comprising a vertically 

